Fae of Middle Earth
by paint mouse
Summary: Looking for something different to read? She was female. That much was clear. What she was, though, was something new to him. She was young looking, and, if he had to guess, maybe in her early twenties. She had long white hair that was streaked with red but it wasn't blood. Her complexion was pale which offset the amber eyes that almost seemed to glow. Reviews very welcome.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers: I sadly and regrettably do not own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters, bummer.… My idea and my characters are mine.

I love "Lord of the Rings" and I love to write. I write as a way of escaping from reality and to share my delusions with others in the attempt to entertain. So if you don't like what I have to offer then please feel free to find something else to read, no harm, no foul. But if you like what you read, then please let me know. Please…This story was previously posted under a different title, but I have since pulled it rewrote. This is the first story of 3 I'm working on. This is to introduce my character and familiarize my readers with her for the future stories.

I could write you a long paragraph about what this story is not, or I could simply tell you it is something you haven't ready yet. All I can ask is you give it a try, who knows you just might like it.

This is a A/U, and sorry girls no Legomance, just the bonding of two friends. Give it a try who knows you just might like it.

Special thanks to my beta Kristall and Smile Life Away. They are fabulous!

Enjoy

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**The Fae of Middle Earth**

**Chapter 1**

Liana walked through the dense woods of Fangorn Forest, unsure and uncaring of her destination. It had been far too long since the trees had talked to her, since anyone talked to her and even longer since she had seen her own kind. The Ents had gone back to sleep after the destruction of the Great Tower and the White Wizard's evil reign had ended. As for her kind, after Saruman had them hunted for their blood, the few that were left had gone into hiding to protect themselves from extinction. Saruman had mixed their blood in with white paint and had used it to mark his Uruk-hai solders. It gave them the ability to run for days on end nonstop and gave them unmatched strength. The simple act of wearing the blood of a Fae could turn even the weakest creature into a force to be reckoned with. Fae were believed to have been close to extinction, even before the Great War for the One Ring, but after Saruman hunted down the few remaining ones left, Fae were now believed to be totally wiped out. It had been over a century since anyone had laid eyes on a Fae, and they too had passed into myth and legend.

It was the middle of December and a heavy snow was beginning to fall. Trees were weighted with snow, and icicles clung too many of the branches. The forest was quiet and Liana liked it that way, so quiet that to some it might seem like an eerie silence. Even though there was a part of her that was growing lonelier with each day, the thought of being around someone, anyone for that matter, frightened her, people frightened her – being around people meant she was in danger of being found out, so solitude was her only option, although she knew that she was not alone within these borders. There was an evil that was lurking within the trees, skulking about, clinging onto what was left of their meager existence. Goblins, Orcs and the Uruk-hai still roamed the woods. After the Ents all went back to sleep, what remained of Sauron's evil went into hiding, taking refuge in the massive forest, knowing few would dare to enter the woods to seek them out.

Liana could sense their presence, the evil that was seemingly dripping off of them, the malice that seemed to fill the air. The animal in her welcomed the evil, welcome the fight it brought. The human in her was apprehensive, just wanted to be left alone. But whatever the feeling she did not let it bother her, she knew if she had to she was more than capable of defending herself if any of the creatures were dumb enough to try to attack her. The snow was heavy on the ground giving everything a peaceful look to it, so tranquil. She had been walking for over an hour lost in her own thoughts taking in the beauty that Fangorn Forest offered. So many people feared these woods, but not her; she saw the beauty were others saw darkness. Even though she was lost in her thoughts she was very much aware of the sounds of soft crushing snow off to the sides of the small clearing she was walking through. She smiled softly, this wasn't the first time a creature had stalked her, or hunted her for that matter. She had been hunted her whole life, it was the curse of being what she was. She could feel them in the woods around her, she could smell them on the wind and hear the snow crushing as it gave way underneath them. She knew it was only a matter of time before one of the creatures of the woods got desperate for more power and acted.

Liana quickly found herself facing four Orcs and three Uruk-hai. 'This isn't right. Orcs and Uruk-hai don't hunt with one another, they hate each other. They must be getting desperate or they would never attempt an ambush like this,' she thought to herself. She knew that even though she could handle them, this was not going to be an easy fight. She was greatly outnumbered and Uruk-hai could be formidable. There was a good chance she would not walk away unharmed. As they encircled her, one of the Uruk-hai stood about twenty yards back. He drew his bow up and notched an arrow. Liana let a low growl escape her lips in an attempt to warn them of the mistake they were about to make. The sound was low and fierce like the growl of a lioness crouching in the woods warning an intruder of her presence. "You do not want to do this," she said in a low voice as her eyes moved to each of the creatures around her. Her ear perked to the almost silent whistle of the arrow cutting through the air towards her. In an instant she plucked the arrow effortlessly out of the air and snapped it in half, giving an almost teasing grin towards the archer as he snarled at her. With an almost roar from Liana the Orcs and Uruk-hai all charged at her, as she was openly awaiting the battle.

Legolas and his small hunting party approached the edge of Fangorn Forest. They had gotten word from Lord Elrond of Rivendell that a group of Orcs had been terrorizing the surrounding villages, like a pack of wild dogs, and they needed to be dealt with. Some of the villagers had sent a message to Rivendell asking Lord Elrond to send a hunting party into the woods, to go after the Orcs before they caused any further damage to the towns or their people. Knowing Legolas was one of the finest marksmen and could easily handle the job he sent word to him asking for his assistance, not that his own people could more than handle the problem, but he hadn't seen Legolas in several years and knew from an inside source that he was in need of time away from Mirkwood, and his father – the inside source being the king himself.

Standing at the border to the forest they could already smell the heavy scent of blood that was carried on the air as it passed through the forest. The smell was thick and heavy indicating the blood was dirty, dirty like the Orcs, evil and filled with malice. But there was something else, something they did not recognize, not dirty, not that of Orcs and Uruk-hai, but not human either. Making their way into the heavy woods, they could hear the grumbles from the trees in protest to them entering the forest so armed. Legolas turned to give the elven warriors an unspoken command of caution as they ventured on. It wasn't long before they picked up the Orcs' trail. The Orcs make no effort to hide where they were going or where they had been, they just trample over everything, destroying all in their path. Legolas noted that there was another set of tracks, tracks of which he was uncertain of. Whatever made them looked almost like an animal, some sort of canine maybe but much larger than any canine he knew of. Whatever this creature was, it was being hunted. They could hear growling and screeching from up ahead, the growling was, again, a sound of some sort of animal, but the screeching was defiantly Orc. The sounds were coming from the clearing in the trees up ahead. Clearly they had found the Orcs' location. Legolas was beginning to worry – he was hearing less of the animal and more of the Orcs' screeching and was worried that the Orcs might be fighting each other and had already killed their prey. He would have traveled all this way and not gotten to dirty his blades.

Legolas signaled to the others to split up and move forward. Taking to the trees, Legolas moved amongst the branches high up off the ground - out of reach and sight from the evil on the ground. He made his way into the clearing just in time to see an Uruk-hai fly backwards through the clearing - hitting a tree and then fall limp and lifeless to the cold frozen ground with a hard crunching noise black blood soaking through the snow around it. There was an Orc dancing about with his movements; back and forth, left then right. His actions were erratic and frantic. Though Legolas could not see what it was he was fighting, he could sense that the Orc was scared. Charging forward with his sword, the Orc disappeared beyond Legalos's view only to return to it as he flew backward through the clearing landing in a heap next to the already dead Uruk-hai. The Orc quickly grabbed the Uruk-hai's bow from the ground and within an instant an arrow was released towards the unseen target. Legolas craned his head around to see if he could catch a glimpse of this mystery target, but before it came into view the Orc flew backwards against the tree behind it. The arrow soon followed piercing his neck and pinning his lifeless body to the tree.

Legolas moved quickly and quietly along the tree limbs, careful not to make any noise to alert the creature below of his presence. Moving from limb to limb above the clearing, Legolas attempted to find this mystery creature.

There were dead Orcs and Uruk-hai scattered about; black blood covered the ground and many of the tree trunks. Another low growl found its way to his ears, as he crept closer and closer to the trees on the edge of the clearing, the growling continued and he quickly realized whatever was growling was growling at him. It was a low growl that carried on the wind; the growl was a warning for him to stop and come no closer.

Liana stood there exhausted and wounded, breathing heavily. She was covered in blood, both her own and her enemies'. Blood was dripping down her arm, and off her fingers, spotting the white snow underneath her red. She looked at the arrow that had pierced her shoulder; she knew she needed to pull the arrow out before her body could start to heal itself. The poison that coated the arrow would leave her weakened and defenseless for a short while as her body overcame the poison. She also had a long gash across her side when she was caught off guard by an orc she thought dead and long gash down her left forearm.

She could sense that once again she was not alone, and in her heightened stage she was quick to act and slow to think, she knew of the presence in the trees above her, and she could almost pinpoint what she thought might be elves in the woods closing in around her. It was harder to sense an elf than any other creature because, like her, they were creatures of the woods and one with their surroundings, making it difficult for her to feel their presence.

Before giving him a chance to react, Liana let out a booming growl unlike any other, this sound echoed through the trees forcing all the animal life in the area to flee, and the trees themselves to shudder at the sound.

Legolas grasped his ears, attempting to block the sound as the branch he was perched upon trembled and cracked underneath him. Before he had a chance to react, the limb snapped under his weight and both he and the limb tumbled toward the ground. Quickly catching himself in the air before landing on the hard ground awkwardly, he landed in a crouched position with one knee on the ground. The tree limb and a rather sizable amount of snow fell to the ground around him. Before he got the chance to react and rise to his feet he found himself staring up the dirty blade of an Orc's sword. Looking up from the blood soaked blade he brought his eyes up to the creature he had been attempting to catch a glimpse of.

She was female. That much was clear. What she was, though, was something new to him. She was young looking, and, if he had to guess, maybe in her early twenties. She had long white hair that was streaked with red but it wasn't blood, it was the color of her hair. Her complexion was pale which offset amber eyes that almost seemed to glow. She had red crescent moon shape at the nape of her neck. Legolas was sure it was some sort of clan mark. When she growled at him, it revealed two elongated canine teeth, which he didn't doubt for a second she would use if it came to that. The hand that grasped the sword pointed just inches from his throat had finger nails that resembled claws. Each one had tips that were stained in black blood, and her legs and feet looked like they belonged to gargoyle or possibly a large dog, and she had fur, red fur around her chest, wrists, neck, waist and pelvis, and a tail, long red hair with white inlayed into it. She resembled a dog or feline human type creature. But his attention was drawn off by the movement of her ears that he found perched on top of her head like a feline would have; only hers were set sideways indicating she was not in the mood for him or his kin out in the woods. He could clearly see she was exhausted, wounded, and on edge. Like a dog with nothing left to lose that had been backed into a corner. At any moment she could lash out at him, whether he provoked her or not.

Slowly he raised his hands to show he was unarmed. She stepped closer, moving the blade to just under his chin, and she looked down at him. 'He is elf kind', she thought to herself. 'Elves do not take it upon themselves to attack woodland creatures for sport.' As she lowered the blade, her ears perked as they caught the quiet whistle of an arrow through the wind, and once more she turned to grab it from the air effortlessly just inches from her body. Liana turned back to Legolas while holding the green and yellow fletched arrow in her hand. Looking down at him, she snapped it in half while letting a low, angry snarl escape her lips and raised the sword to his throat once more. Legolas recognized the arrow, it belonged to one of his men, probably fearing for their prince's safety and acted upon what they saw from a distance, which was him on his knees at sword point.

Both Liana and Legolas turned at the sound, of the air being pierced, almost a whooshing sound as three more arrow came flying out of the trees. Whipping around she blocked one of the arrows just inches from her thigh with the sword and then snatched another out of the air. The third pierced her just below her rib cage with enough force to send her backwards to the ground. Legolas quickly scrambled to his feet, his elven hunters emerging from the trees, gathering around the creature. Legolas knelt down to her. She scrambled to get to her feet again, only to fall over again. Panic took hold of her as her body weakened and the trees and snow around her became a distant echo in her mind as all that surrounded her started to go black. Like a wounded animal she desperately tried to make an escape, scrambling to her feet once more. She growled at the elves in a desperate attempt to ward them off, only revealing a mouth full of blood. Legolas, attempting to keep the creature from harming herself further, grabbed one of her hands. As her vision was starting to go blurry she attempted to knock her hands loose of his grasp. Having no luck, she collapsed to her knees in the snow. Giving in to the pain and poison, she fell motionless to the ground.

Legolas looked over the creature before him. She was badly wounded; the elven arrow had pierced her to up to the fletching. The Orc arrow was not as deep, but then again, it did not have to be deep to spread its poison. The large gases on her forearm and side were bleeding profusely and would need to be stitched.

Suddenly, without warning, she sprang to her feet with what little energy she had left, lunging at the elf whose arrow had pierced her, the elf whose scent was still heavy on the arrow buried in her side, slamming him back into a tree with her fading strength, digging her claws into his side. The elf let out a sudden cry of pain as her teeth bore on him, just inches from his face, a low growl escaping her lips. The elf scrambling to pull her off of him as her claws pierced deeper into his side. He hands grasp her wrists, trying to push her back, but before she could cause any life threatening damage her body gave out and she collapsed in the snow at his feet.

Legolas knelt down next to her, her hair started to change and the fur disappeared. Her creature form shifted in to that of nude young woman. Legolas spared no time pulling his cloak off, placing it over the nude form, knowing he had little time and the haste that was needed. He quickly picked her up and made his way to the edge of the forest where the horses had been tethered. He knew because of her new form she was now in a weaker state and time was working against him.

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Well that's chapter one, I hope you liked it as much I like writing it.. See that button there… that says review.. Go ahead click it you know you want to...

... See y'all late..Until next time!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey all, Happy Holidays! Hears the next chapter hope you like it...And as always don't forget to let me know what you think!

Special thanks to my betas Kristall and Smile Life Away. They are fabulous!

To my Anonymous reviewer, not to worry this story is completed, just posting as I get it back from my betas. So more to come :)

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**Chapter 2**

Liana woke to a dark room. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, unwilling to conform to the darkness. She found that she was unable to clear her vision, and it was a struggle to keep her eyes open and focused. Her body ached all over, and she shuddered at the thought of moving. She surveyed her surroundings as best as she could she quickly realized that she was in a bed and more to the point a bedroom. From the safer of the covers she saw that he design was elven - delicate in every form. There was an elaborate archway dividing the room and the bathroom and another one to the balcony, vaulted ceilings, soft silk fabrics on the bed, leaf and vine carvings into the bed posts and furniture. She silently took a mental note of the balcony off to the right. It would not be hard to make an escape from there. The room was large, but still in many ways felt like a cage. There were two large wooden chairs in front of the fire and another one next to her bed. Her eyes fell on the flames in the fire place, and the way they made light dance around the room. It was dusk , not quite evening, but the sun had already set for the night leaving long pink and purple fingers of color stretching across the sky.

"Amin lle ier eller." I know you are there she said into the darkness, her voice shaking. Fighting to keep her eyes open, she focused what little eye sight she could onto one of the chairs sitting in front of the fire. A figure stood up and walked towards the foot of the bed. She knew it was him; she could sense that it was the same elf from before -the one from the woods.

"Sut ier lle sina lome?" How are you faring this evening, he asked as he stepped into the light cast by the fire at the foot of her bed.

Blinking her eyes in an attempt to clear her vision, she said nothing in response to his question, and instead only turned her head back towards the balcony, back towards freedom. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she gazed out into the night sky. "You cannot keep me here," she said without looking at the elf.

He moved closer to her, and took a seat in the chair that was just off to the side of the bed. "My lady, we have no intention of keeping you here against your will, you are free to go when you are able. We are not here to harm you." He smiled at her in an attempt to calm her obvious fears.

Liana turned her head, and brought her eyes to meet his in an intense gaze. Was it not your warriors that also attacked me in the woods, further causing harm to me, she thought as her eyes narrowed and her hand crept over to the wound on her side, the wound that caused her the most pain.

"What happened in the woods was not my intention; my men were simply trying to protect me and only acted because they thought my life was in danger. They saw something they were unprepared for and reacted," he said simply, as if reading her mind.

She blinked through her blurred vision, remembering that she was the one that had gotten him on his knees and at sword point. "If you do not intend to keep me here against my will then why is it that you have thought it necessary to drug me? It will not work on me for long, I will overcome it," she said changing the subject back to him.

He leaned forward, bringing his face into view, and as he spoke to her she took in his features. He was dressed in a simple light grey tunic. He had long blond hair that had a single braid down the back and icy blue eyes. For a moment, she thought he might see into her soul if she let him. He reached to take her hand in his, only to have her jerk it away from him rather abruptly.

"Do not touch me." She warned with a low hiss.

Legolas had suspected that she did not like to be touched. When he had walked towards her bed, she had shifted back in the bed slightly, and when he'd sat down next to the bed she'd shifted away from him again. She had done both effortlessly and seemingly without pain that he thought she might be doing it without realizing it. That moving away from people came naturally to her.

"We simply gave you something to ease you and bring you peace; it's meant to keep you relaxed so that you will not do something rash while you heal," he said with a cool and composed face as he sat back in the chair while taking in her appearance.

Now that she appeared to be a mortal she was quite different looking. She had long blond hair that curled at the ends - no longer red and white. Her skin was still a pale color, but he was sure that was from the fever and sweating induced by the Orcs' poison. Her eyes had faded to almost a brown color, and from what he saw, she was every bit a mortal woman.

Liana turned her head towards the door a few moments before there was a light knocking. Legolas acknowledged the knocking as a tall elf walked in. This elf had long black hair with braids from each of his temples wrapping around to one braid down the back. He was in grey robes with elaborate white trim around the arms, and he seemed to flow into the room. She blinked again as her vision started to clear - the heaviness starting to lift. Finally my body is building up immunity to this drug's effect, she thought to herself as he came more into focus. That's when she realized she had seen this elf before. This elf she knew.

"My lord," she said as she tipped her head down. Lord Elrond looked at her for a moment in an attempt to place her face. Liana smiled slightly. She knew when the two of them had met; she had looked much different then.

"My apologies, my lady, but I cannot place your face. Where is it that we have met?"

Putting the pieces together, Liana figured out she must be in Rivendell, she had been here before. A small part of her began to relax. Even though she did not trust the elves, she knew, for now, that she was safe.

"My lord, I apologize. It has been many years since we last met; it was a different time then."

Legolas watched as her demeanor changed. Something about seeing Lord Elrond had changed her; she wasn't distant and distracted. She did not shy away from his presence as much, and the fear she held in her eyes seemed to diminish.

Lord Elrond stared at her for a bit. "I am sorry but I still cannot place where I would have met you," he said in response a puzzled look on his face.

Liana smiled. "It is all right; it was many years ago and only in passing as you were leaving my masters. At the time," she added, "My master and I came to Rivendell for a council meeting long ago." She shyly smiled at him waiting for him to connect the dots.

"Who is your master?" he questioned, still confused on what council meeting she was speaking of. Council meetings were often held in secret and those that were not at them rarely new of them.

"Saruman." Liana let her eyes shift back into their amber color with the hope that he might recognize her by them. She took a chance saying that name here in Rivendell where the fellowship had been formed. She knew Saruman was no friend of the elves after he'd turned, and even though he was long dead many of the elves still refused to speak his name.

Legolas gripped the edge of his chair causing his knuckles to turn white. He shifted uncomfortably while Lord Elrond clearly became lost in his thoughts as he was trying to place her eyes. Legolas took a deep breath trying to calm himself. So many had fallen because of that wizard, and he couldn't help but feel anger rise within him.

Legolas was the first to speak, adjusting in his chair he leaned in. "Because of Saruman, thousands of innocent people lost their lives meaninglessly. Because of him the tides were turned against us. I saw families suffer and lost friends very dear to me because of him. How could you allow yourself to be in his company?" His words trailed off as he tried to calm the anger bubbling inside. He thought it best to leave before he berated her any further about her master's betrayal. Lifting himself out of the chair, he made his way towards the door.

Legolas made it half way when he was suddenly and quite unexpectedly brought down hard to the floor. Liana had his body pinned underneath hers as she bore her teeth at him growling. Legolas suddenly wondered if this was what prey felt like. He took note that somewhere between the bed and the floor she has shifted into her other form and was now looking quite different and not nearly as defenseless and scared.

Now she was angry.

Lord Elrond stood off the side, not wanting to provoke either one into doing something stupid. Liana had Legolas pinned underneath her with a clawed hand around his neck. Legolas had managed to pull a hidden dagger out instinctively before she pinned him to the floor, and it was resting loosely against her throat. Liana noted that wherever he had concealed this blade was unnoticeable and well hidden. She had failed to see it earlier. Had she seen it before, it would have been the first thing she went for as she brought him to the floor.

"Listen to me elf, and listen well." Liana began - bringing her face just inches from his. "Do not think you are the only one that lost people you cared for at the hands of that wizard. I owed a debt to him, to which I held true. Nothing more. I left his services after I paid off my debt and before the evil of Sauron took him." Legolas looked up at her. He had never before been caught off guard and put into such a compromised position, and he was completely at a loss for words. He knew if he said anything she disliked things might not end well for either of them, she was in a position to do a great deal of damage to him.

He noticed she was breathing heavy, and in her eyes there was anger, so much burning anger, and sorrow. Though she hid it well. He could see she was lonely and hurting, but it was hidden behind the anger - the anger he had brought out. There was also pain. Although she showed no signs of it in her face, he knew that the act of over powering him and shifting forms must have been incredibly painful and she was doing everything in her power to not show it and to hold her form.

He shifted underneath her causing her to tighten her grip on him, which in return made him angle his blade differently in an attempt to remind her that it was there. Unfazed by his blade, she brought her face down lower to his.

"Do not think you are the only one still hurting, elf." This action caused the edge of Legolas's blade to slightly slide through the skin of her neck.

Liana could feel the warmth of blood as it trickled down her neck. She could see it in his eyes. He was regretting pulling his weapon and causing further harm to her. She could read in his eyes that there was something about him - something that almost calmed her. She thought if she stared into his eyes long enough he might be able to calm the anger swirling around within her, and maybe even calm her fears. His icy blue eyes told her everything about him. He was a warrior and perfectly capable of becoming violent if need, every move he made was calm and calculated one. But his eyes also told her he had a genital sole and would not cause her harm on purpose. For a split second she let her guard down. Pain washed over her, bringing her back into reality, and her body soon gave into it.

Liana fell motionless onto Legolas's chest, and once again shifted back into the mortal form.

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Hope y'all enjoyed it...let me know what you think so far... :)... Happy Holidays!

Namárië, Hantanyel órenyallo


	3. Chapter 3

Hears cheaper 3 hope y'all like it, let me know what you think. Don't forget to let me know how I'm doing..please..

Special thanks to my beta Kristall..

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**Chapter 3**

Liana awoke abruptly to the feeling of being watched. She shifted within the warm covers uncomfortably. Her pain was less now, and she would soon be able to put it out of her mind completely. Her eyes shifted over to the elf sitting in the chair next to her bed. "Lord Elrond," she said as she took note of the book he had open but was clearly not reading.

He had pulled the only book he had in his library that had any mention of the Fae, and it wasn't much of a mention. Few knew of the Fae, and what they did know was little. The Fae kept to themselves, and liked it that way. The less people knew about them, the less danger they were in. It was just easier that way, easier to not let anyone in.

"Good morning Liana," he said, smiling. He had figured it out; he remembered. Liana turned her head more so that she was fully looking at him now.

"I knew you would remember," she said, giving him a warm smile.

"You have a very good memory, Liana. It was a very long time ago that our paths crossed." Lord Elrod sat back in his chair flipping to a page in his book that he had ear marked. "You're Fae," he said abruptly as his eyes scanned over the page.

'_Well that's one way to break the ice'_, she thought to herself. "That I am." Smiling sheepishly, she knew at this point this conversation was unavoidable. In all her years she had never wanted to have to explain what she was to anyone. The less people knew the safer she was. But there was something about Lord Elrod that told her she could trust him, and it had been so long since she was able to put trust in anyone. The last time she trusted someone they ended up slaughtering her kin, and quite possibly making her the last of her kind. But this felt different, Lord Elrond seemed to truly want to care about her, and she found it hard to keep her walls up around him.

"Last I saw you, Liana, you were in your Fae form, and I was unaware that you had a mortal form. Otherwise I would have recognized you the moment Legolas brought you in."

'_Ahh Legolas, the elf has a name'_, she thought. Making a mental note, she sat herself up in bed. "My mortal form was a gift, from Saruman, before he was consumed by darkness. He gifted my race with a mortal form so that we could blend in better. We were being hunted by all races of Middle Earth. That was the debt I was repaying. At the time, our mortal form saved our race. We could hide amongst men, live normal lives if we chose. You see, our mortal form is just that: we are mortal. Though our senses are still enhanced, they are not what they are in our natural state, and we age similar to the Dunedin so our mortal forms can grow old and die, just at a much slower rate. "

She drew a slow breath. "It wasn't always like this, once the races of Middle Earth saw us as a higher form, and some even worshiped us. We used to be revered. But one day that all changed and we were hunted, by all races including members of our own. It was said killing a Fae gave you there power. But the truth was if our blood touches someone it bonds them to us, and the power is shared. So killing a Fae only granted you ability's for a short time."

Lord Elrond's face had not changed. He was clearly interested in what she had to say but he didn't want to push her too much. He knew that just as easily as she came out of her shell, she could be scared back into it. He knew she needed someone to trust. There was a deep loneliness in her eyes though she tried her best to keep it hidden. Lord Elrond knew that underneath the self-protective shell there was a lonely girl in need of someone to trust, someone to talk to. She just needed a friend.

"You said that the mortal form seemed like a gift at the time. Why is it not a gift now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She thought for a second. "Most of my race saw it as a weakness, and at times it is. When we get scared or severely hurt we shift into this form, weak and defenseless. It is not something that is easily controlled. Our mortal forms take less energy to hold than our Fae forms, so much of the time it just seems easier to be mortal, and some saw that as a weakness. Others saw it as an escape and abandoned the Fae form entirely, going on to live ordinary lives. They lived as mortals and died as mortals. Between that and Saruman's massacre, that's why there are so few, if any, of my kind left," she said as her eyes drifted to the floor. "But our Fae form is quite different. We are immortal as Fae, and…" she trailed off. She didn't want to elaborate any further on that topic. The less they know the better off they are, she thought to herself.

Before Lord Elrond had a chance to question the last bit of what she had said, she spoke again. "Where is the elf called Legolas?"

Lord Elrond looked up with a smile on his face. 'Ahh, this is a good sign', he thought to himself. "Legolas thought it would be best if he gave you some space. He didn't want to upset you further."

A grin appeared on her face. '_He's probably off sulking because he got bested by me_.' Her smile widened as she thought about it.

Lord Elrond gave her a perplexed look then stood, "You must be hungry. I'll see that a warm meal is brought to you." At that he stood and walked out of the room. She noted how he seemed to flow with every step, so effortlessly, almost gliding above the floor.

It had been a couple days since her talk with Lord Elrond. Despite being given free rein in Rivendell, Liana still chose not to leave her room. She was more than well enough to get out of bed and roam the hall ways, but she still chose to stay hidden in her room. Lord Elrond had come by the last two days to make sure she was doing well and to give her some company. Aside from Lord Elrond, Liana had minimal contact with other elves. Legolas had yet to make another appearance and most of the other elves pretty much stayed clear of her room. On occasion, a hand maiden named Sidhlairiel would come in and change her dressings and give her fresh clothing. But even then Liana never really engaged her in conversation. She could sense Sidhlairiel was nervous around her, unsure of how to act, and so she let her be . She did not want to make the poor girl more uncomfortable.

The sun had set. Dull blues and pinks stretched across the cold sky like fingers reaching out to touch her. She had made her way out to the snow covered balcony, unaffected by the cold, and she sat with her back against where the wall and the balcony met. One leg lay draped over the edge and the other was brought up to her chest. It was here that Legolas found her. He had been out walking the grounds, taking in the night when he saw her from afar, sitting there looking out onto the world. She was in her mortal form. He thought about the night she had over-powered him and had his life in her hands, again. Though he was sure at this point that she had no intention of harming him, it had been two times now that she had had his life in her hands and done nothing. He thought about what he had said to her, how he had lost his control and let anger swirl within him, and that he was wrong for lashing out at her. He knew what he needed to do, but he was unsure if she would be willing to give him a chance.

There was a soft knocking at her door that dragged her back into reality. Without even turning to the door she spoke. "You may come in, Legolas". He entered the room and made his way out to the balcony. She tilted her head slightly to watch him as he moved towards the railing. He let his fingers drift across the cold stone as he planted himself firmly at the opposite edge of the balcony.

There was a long silence between them as the colors left in the sky fading to black. Legolas was unsure on how to approach the conversation, for he didn't want to push her any farther away than he already had. He wanted to close the gap that his selfish words had caused.

Liana could feel his gaze on her as she looked up at the stars. "I wanted to apologize for my words the other day. It was not my place to judge you based on your master's actions, and I am sorry."

Liana turned to look at him. There was a part of her that was surprised he had apologized. Even though her dealings with the elves was very limited, she knew that they were still a race that saw themselves as a higher species and largely infallible. The other part of her understood where he was coming from and she couldn't hold that against him.

Letting a weak smile grace her lips she said. "It is okay, you do not need to worry yourself over it for it is in the past. I cannot change what has happened and neither can you."

Legolas met her gaze, again her eyes were filled with sorrow and a loneliness. His heart hurt every time he looked into her lonely eyes. He couldn't image how lonely she was, and couldn't imagine ever thinking he could be the last of his kind.

"In a few days you should be well enough to travel. Will you be returning to Fangorn Forest?" he asked her as he adjusted himself into the same position she was seated in.

She stared out across the sky. It was dark now and snowing lightly giving everything a white shimmer. Stars scattered across the sky like fireflies flickering in the distance. He could see the question had caught her off guard. In a way, it almost seemed to upset her, and he thought he saw a tear roll down her cheek. Before giving her a chance to answer, he added, "I heard that Lord Elrond intends to extended you an offer of staying here in Rivendell for as long as you like. You would be safe here. These borders are well protected; you would not have to be alone."

Turning her head back to him, she retorted, "I am not safe anywhere, because of what I am I will never be truly safe."

Lord Elrond had explained to Legolas what Liana was, so he had a good idea of what her fears were, and understood why she would think that. "The elves are not your enemy. I know it seems like it now, but I promise you will be safer here than in Fangorn Forest."

She was staring at him intently now, tears welling up in her eyes. She was on the verge of breaking, of totally losing it for the first time in centuries. For so long she had been so alone, and now there were these people, these elves here trying to be her friend and to reassure her that things would be okay. But she knew, just knew that they would never be okay… not for her. There would always be some idiot out there looking for more power, for one more trophy. Looking for her.

With tears now streaming down her pail face, she looked at him with the most intense look he had ever received. It seemed to cause every muscle in his body to freeze, and he was drawn to it. "But how can you protect me from yourself!" she shouted at him. "One drop of my blood and the weakest man turns into the lowest scum begging for another taste. It only takes one drop, just one and all those around me give in to their darkest evil. How can I let anyone near me? How can I risk exposing innocents to that type of temptation? I can't let that happen again, I won't! Saruman took advantage of the power our blood holds once. I will never let it happen again!" She stood to leave, and Legolas was in front of her within an instant. Had she not been in a crumbling state she would have been able predict his movements, but her mind was elsewhere and she had not been concentrating on the sounds of what was going on around her.

In one fluid movement he had her up against the wall with his dagger in hand. He knew if he didn't act fast she would take control and once more he would find himself at her mercy. She looked at him with angry eyes now and he watched as they shifted to their amber color. He reached down, taking her hand in his and placing the tip of the dagger within her palm. She shifted into her Fae form and pulled her hand free, the blade of the dagger slicing through her palm. Within an instant he was hurled across the room, landing on the bed only to bounce off catching himself before he hit the floor. As quickly as he was hurled, she slammed him into the wall with an unexpected force. She was furious; he could see it in her eyes. He had betrayed her as far as she was concerned and now she was pissed.

She snarled at him, her teeth just inches from his face, and with all his strength he pushed her back against the bed. She hit the foot board only to fall to her knees. This time Legolas was the one to pin her to the ground. In one fluid movement he grabbed the hand he had sliced open and grasped it within his own. Keeping eye contact, he brought their hands up for her to see. "Anta men amin." _Forgive me_, he whispered, "I needed you to see." Blinking she looked from him to their hands. Blood was running between them, her blood. The anger in her eyes subsided as confusion took hold. This had never happened before. Never before had someone been immune to her blood. Letting go of her hand he stood up, looking back at her. She was still in her Fae form, breathing heavy and clearly trying to figure out what just happened. There was a part of her that was still furious at him, but a bigger part of her was relieved, for the first time her blood had no effect, no hold over someone.

Legolas walked over to the vanity and picked up a piece of cloth that was left for changing her bandages. He walked back over to where Liana was still sitting. He sat down across from her, legs crossed, as he reached out and took her hand once more. Surprisingly she did not recoil like he thought she might. As he wrapped the bandage around her palm, watching her every reaction, noticing that she was still very much at a loss of words, he spoke. "Lord Elrod knew of the power that the Fae blood holds over man, and he has been reading what little there is of your kind so that he could best understand your needs." Adjusting himself and moving slightly closer to her, he continued. "When we first met, you were gravely injured, and before I could bring you to Rivendell I needed to remove the arrows and stop the bleeding to insure you would survive the trip. After tending to your wounds, I had more than a little of your blood on me and it did not affect me, nor will it affect any of my kind. We are immune to the seduction your blood offers."

She looked at him and for the first time he saw hope in her eyes, hope that for once she might be able to relax and be herself. Standing again he reached down with both hands out stretched towards her. She gave him a questioning look, somewhere within her she wanted to trust him, but there was that part of her that told her she was fine on her own, that she was fine without anyone. "It will be ok," he said with a warm smile. He knelt down and took her hands in his own, rising again to his feet and bringing her with him.

They stood there hand-in-hand for a moment in silence, studying each other, each one trying to figure out the other. Legolas was the first to break the silence. "Come," he said as he moved one of her hands to around his arm. He opened the door and immediately she tensed up. He looked back her to see her eyes shifting into the brown color. Turning to face her once more he grasped her chin. "No, do not allow yourself to retreat, let me show you. You are safe here, you are safe as who you are, and you do not need to hide anymore."

Looking back at him with her intense gaze, she gave into him. For too long she had needed a friend, someone to talk to. A companion. Her eyes shifted back to their amber color almost glowing in the night. She was putting trust in him, more trust than he had earned. But she needed this and somewhere inside she knew it would be okay.

They walked down the hallway in silence. Legolas could feel her arm trembling around his. He couldn't help think that at times she was more animal then human. Despite how powerful, how strong, how able she was, the simple act being in public terrified her. He reached over with his free hand and patted her hand reassuringly. "Ta thele neie tereva." _It will be alright_. The tremors in her arm seemed to subside as they made their way outside. It was still snowing and everything in Rivendell seemed to have a white glow to it as the snow had covered everything with a fine powder.

They made their way to one of the far gardens. Upon entering the garden, Liana let go of Legolas' arm. She walked ahead of him, her face looking up into falling snow. She let a soft giggle escape her lips and she walked further into the frozen garden. There was a waterfall off to the left that's outer edjes had frozen and a grove of trees to the right. Even in the dead of winter the garden was in full bloom. Flowers of soft pink and purple littered the ground and flower beds, each one frozen in an icy tomb. Legolas stood back watching as suddenly this creature before him became one with her surroundings. She was happy to be out in the open, no longer caged in. She felt free. He watched as she twirled around like a child her arms out in the air collecting snow. In the short time she had been with them in Rivendell, he had not seen her happy. And now because she was outside in this frozen garden she was like a kid again. He couldn't help but smile.

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Well that's all for now, as always hit that review for me and let me know were I stand with this story. :) Hopewell iv answered some questions surrounding Liana and her kind.

Tenna enta lúmë Namárië


	4. Chapter 4

****Welcome back! hope everyone had a fantastic NEW YEAR!S hears chapter 4 for ya hope you enjoy it. And as always don't forget to Review let me know what you think..Ill except slimy faces at this point. :)

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**Chapter 4**

Liana wandered down the long hallways of Rivendell. Snow swept across the cold marble floors from the open archways to the outside. Oddly enough, even though the snow would sweep over the marble floors like waves of the ocean sweeping onto shore, the snow never gathered inside. Statues and tapestries lined the walls forever sealing elven history in moments of time. Her hands lightly graced the delicate etchings and carvings as she wondered from room to room.

Liana had been having problems sleeping in a bed, as she normally took to the trees and slept sprawled out on a branch up in the air. It always seemed to give her a feeling of freedom and comfort, a feeling of safety up off the ground. So she was frequently finding herself wandering around the hallways of Rivendell at all hours of the night, when things seemed to be at their quietest. Thought over the long years of her life she had become more attuned to requiring less and less sleep.

Night after night she often found herself drawn to the large round room located just over Lord Elrond's study. There were two murals on the walls in this room, one depicting when Isildur cut the ring free from Sauron, freeing the world of his evil grasp for a time. The other was of two young hobbits in the fires of Mount Doom tossing the ring into the fire pit to destroy it and rid the world of the evil it held for good. There was also a stone carving of a young woman, who was holding an empty alter. Liana knew that at one time the shards of Narsil had rested there. But since the swords reforging, the alter had remained empty. She let her hand drift over the soft fabric that rested over the top of the alter. She could feel the power that was once kept here, the residue it left behind.

"I believe the power of the elves goes much deeper than you would have people believe." She said as Lord Elrond interned the room. She let her hand drop from the alter as she turned to face him.

"Why is it you think that Lady Liana?" His eyes softly fixed on her, he moved over to where she was standing in front of the alter.

"The power left behind by the shards of Narsil. Even after so many years, I can still feel the strength the blade held, even in its broken form. To be able to craft something like that…" Her words trailed off as she caught the look in lord Elrond's eyes. She knew she was right, there was more to the elves than they let people know. Much like her, they kept a part of them hidden from the world.

"You are up late this evening, were you unable to sleep?" Lord Elrond said smoothly changing the subject.

"I am not accustomed to the softness your beds have to offer, it is not that it's unpleasant, it is just…different." Her eyes greeting his.

Walking over to a bench up against the far wall, he motioned for Liana to come and sit with him. "Many things are different here than what you are used to. Here you do not need to fear what you are, nor do not need to hide in this mortal form," his hand grasping her mortal fingers. "If you stay here in Rivendell you will not have to be alone anymore. All elves here would gladly welcome you to stay with us."

Liana looked up at him. He was offering her a home, a place to belong, to be safe, to finally rest without having to look over her shoulder. Something she admitted to herself that she wanted. She didn't want to be alone forever.

The elves had been nothing but kind to her, and even though at first she was distrusting of their kindness, she found that now she was more open to what they had to offer. She was starting to trust again.

Lord Elrond patted the top of her hand lightly, "Come the sun rises, shall we go see what's been prepared for breakfast?"

Liana looked out into the courtyard. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon. It was snowing again, but a soft snow that melted before it hit the ground. Warm rays of pink moved over the bushes melting the eyes tubs that encased them in the night.

Liana rose to her feet the same time as Lord Elrond and the two made their way down the long hallways towards the dining hall. Aside from a scattered few elves the dining hall was empty. Most had yet to start their day. Lord Elrond led her to a long table where he sat down across from her.

Liana was nibbling at the breads and cheeses already on the table when two elves came and sat down, one on either side of her. Looking at them Liana noticed they both had long black hair that went to the middle of their back with one single braid down the middle. Both of them where very similar to one another and both had a striking resemblance to Lord Elrond.

"So we hear you're this great dog demon," the elf on the left said and he turned and grinned at Liana.

Lord Elrond suddenly choked on the food he was chewing. He knew his sons had a knack of getting into trouble, but right now they were poking a lion that had been back into a corner.

Liana just looked at the two of them. She could feel herself tensing up.

"Liana let me introduce you to my sons Elladan and Elrohir," Lord Elrond said as he tried to break the tension in the air. "Forgive them for they do don't know the reach of their ignorance."

"I noticed the family resemblance," she said as she turned back towards Lord Elrond. It was taking everything in her power to keep her cool and not throw the young elf to her left across the room.

"We would greatly like to see this other side of you that we have heard about." The elf to the right stated as he leaned over towards her.

"Elladan and Elrohir, I'm sure there are other things you need to be attending to." Lord Elrond eyes were narrowed in annoyance as he motioned for his sons to leave.

In one swift motion Liana shifted forms as she stood from the table. 'N_o time like the present',_ she thought to herself as she loomed over the sitting twins. Her ears were set out sideways and flattened indicating she was just short of being pissed off, placing a clawed hand on the table between them and proceeding to dig her claws into the soft wood of the table. Elladan and Elrohir, swallowed hard at the creature that was now standing before them. She loomed over them like a wolf protecting its young her tail twitching with annoyance.

"Your powers of perception are nothing short of divine, master elf," she said sarcastically through clenched teeth, fingers digging further into the soft wood of the table. "It would be in your best interest to stay on the good side of this dog demon." With a low growl of warning in their direction she walked off out of the dining hall, heading back towards her room a small satisfactory grin on her face. If she was going to live amongst the elves then they were going to have to learn to live with her and what she was.

She was not going to let fear rule her life any longer. It was time she embraced what she was instead of hiding it away from the world.

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Well that's it for this chapter hop you all enjoyed it! and for the love of EVERYTHING review!

Le nathlam hí


	5. Chapter 5

Hears Chapter 5 for you I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to let me know what you think.. There is also a prequel and sequel in the works if anyone like this enough.. just let me know

Enjoy

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**Chapter 5**

Legolas and Liana were sitting on a bench in one of the gardens. The sun had long since set and the night sky was filled with stars sparkling like fireflies across the sky. "You know, you never told me about your home, and being a Prince." She remarked as she kicked her feet in the snow underneath the bench.

"There is not much to tell. My father is King of Mirkwood, so being prince is my birth right, although I don't see myself as ever being a king. It is not for me. I would be happy living a long life amongst friends without a title following me. I don't not want my tittle to encourage my friendships. As for home, Mirkwood used to be a dangerous place; the forest is wildly over grown and the creatures within fear little, but it is getting better and there is beauty to be had with in."

There was a long pause between them. Liana was staring up at the sky unaffected by the coolness of the winter night, when her keen hearing heard the sound of snow crushing some distance behind them. It was hard to separate the sounds of the night; a heavy snow had fallen during the day leaving the trees cascaded with ice. Branches waited and cracking under the new weight, but her keen ears could hear the soft steps underneath the sounds of the natural world.

Her ears twitched at the sound of the snow crushing under someone's weight and one ear twisted sidewise in an attempt to pin point the location of the sound. Legolas noticing the awkward movement on top of her head and paused for a moment. 'She really is like a cat in many ways,' he couldn't help but think to himself. Then the sound reached his ears.

Within an instant she was on her feet and a small hiss escaped her mouth as a tall elf walked up to them. Her mood suddenly shifted to aggression as the smell of this elf made its way to her. She recognized it all too well. This scent was the scent on the arrow that had pierced her side, the scent of the elf she had pinned to the tree. He was the one that had succeeded in getting past her guard; he was the one that had gravely wounded her. Her tail began to twitch from side to side as he approached.

Legolas stepped forward stopping his approach. "Forgive me my Prince," he said with a low bow as one hand swept out to the side in greeting. "But I simply wanted to offer my apologies to the Lady Liana."

Liana glared at him from behind Legolas. This elf was taller than most, and he had long blond hair that seemed to cascade off his shoulders, his face was defined by his grey eyes and rounded cheekbones. She could tell just from the muscle structure in his face and shoulders that underneath his blue tunic he was very muscular, more than most of the elves she had seen.

Legolas looked back over his shoulder at Liana. She was standing ready for battle, but she dipped her head to him acknowledging that she would at least listen. Releasing a long slow breath in an attempt to calm herself she took a step forward. "My name is Beinion," he said as he bowed his head to her. "It was my arrow that struck you and I fear wounded you the worst. I was acting out of fear for the safety of my Prince and I am sorry that in the process you were injured so." Liana let a weak smile grace her lips and bowed her head indicating that the apology was accepted.

Beinion went to leave, but before he walked away he turned back towards Liana. "In a way you're lucky, I must say, for you are the only creature to have survived after being struck by my arrow." Her head darted up at the comment, it had not really occurred to her before, but he was right, she was lucky to have survived. And with that Beinion turned and left.

"Forgive him, he should not have made that comment" Legolas remarked as he placed a hand over her heart. "He can be an arrogant worrier and often thinks without speaking."

"He is right," she sighed softly looking at Legolas. "It was luck that my mortal form survived the trauma my Fae form suffered."

Legolas looked at her for a moment. "But you did survive and you are hear now, and that is all that matters." He smiled at her, he brought a hand up to her cheek and cupped it. "Do not dwell on the past." With that he took her hand and wrapped it around his arm. "Come, let me escort you back to your room, it is getting late and I do not wish to keep you up till the early hours of dawn." She bowed her head to him slightly and allowed him to escort her back to her room.

"I hope that tonight sleep finds you." Liana gave him a confused look. "Lord Elrod has told me he has found you wondering the halls late into the evening; I hope that tonight you are embraced by sweet dreams."

Liana smiled warmly at him. "I am sure tonight I will find myself resting soundly. Thank you my friend." Legolas kissed her hand softly and then headed down the hallway to his own quarters, a smile on his face. She had called him a friend. His heart filled with warmth at the thought that she was finally letting someone in.

It had been several weeks since her walk in the garden with Legolas, and in that time they were building a strong foundation for a friendship. Even though she was still slow to fully trust anyone, she felt that Lord Elrond and Legolas both meant her no harm and she would one day be able to put her life in their hands.

It was early morning when Legolas found her. The sun was just barely peeking over the world, giving everything a warm pink glow and there was a light mist in the air that seemed to drift on the wind. Liana was at the archery range, somewhere Legolas had not seen her before. He watched from a distance although he was sure she knew he was there. He watched as she notched an arrow, drew back the string and took aim. Exhaling slowly she released and the arrow hit its mark. Every time she took aim her ears would flatted on her hair like she was stalking prey. She repeated this process several times before she turned and smiled at the approaching elf. "You have some skill with a bow," he commented.

"That I do," she respond with a smile then added. "Even I need the skill to hunt," He didn't know why he never thought of it before, but she was right. Seeing the look on his face she questioned: "What did you expect, that I ran down poor deer in the woods, ripping them apart with my bare hands like some crazed animal?" With the smile on his face she knew that was exactly what he had thought.

"Come, I have something to discuss with you," he said as he took her arm around his. He led her towards a large white bridge overlooking a large water fall. Water spilled from up above crashing on the rocks below. A mist billowed about the bridge giving everything a glistening haze. There were several small rainbows cascading through the mist of the falls, and the river below had sheets of ice that lined the shores.

"This place is so beautiful," she remarked as they stopped in front of the massive fall of water, letting her hand touch the cold cascading water.

"You seem to be getting along here in Rivendell," he stated taking her hands in his.

"Yes the elves here have been nothing but kind to me. Lord Elrond has opened his home to me, and the elven kind have been most understanding with me," she said with a warm smile.

His face suddenly became serious. "My father has sent word. It is time for me to return home."

She shifted from one foot to the other. "I see. I knew your stay here would have to end sometime, and although I very much appreciate everything you have done to help me in overcoming my fears, I know I cannot keep you from your other duties." She stated calmly, but inside she was terrified. She was finally starting to let someone in, to trust them, and now he was having to leave. "Lord Elrond has said you are welcome to stay here in Rivendell with him, and I know you two have grown close during your stay." He looked up at her, bringing his blue eyes to meet her gaze.

There was something about his eyes that no matter what she did, she always got lost in stormy blue depths that resigned with in them.

"But I was hoping you would consider coming back to Mirkwood with me." Something shifted behind her eyes, she hadn't expected that. He suddenly became worried she might say no, he knew that the thought of the outside word still scared her and it was a five day journey to Mirkwood. But he had come to enjoy her company and it pained him to think about leaving her behind.

"Yes," she exclaimed, suddenly breaking the silence. Clearly she needed no time to think it over.

Legolas smiled warmly at her. He was happy to hear that she was willing to face her fears to stay with him. "It warms my heart to hear it, come them there is much packing to do as we leave in the morning."

Liana woke early the next morning. The sun had not yet peeked above the horizon, but there was a soft glow to that came to rest on Rivendell. She quickly gathered up her pack that Lord Elrond had graciously put together for her the night before when she had told him of her plans to travel with Legolas. Even though he wished for her to stay with him in Rivendell, he knew she needed to go out and embrace the world and take charge of her fears.

He had gifted her with a beautiful bow and a quiver of arrows, to better protect herself during their travels since she would be traveling in her mortal form. He had also given her a beautiful elven dagger attached to a red leather belt that seemed to match the color of her fur. It matched it so well in fact that when she wore it while in her Fae form you could barely see the dagger or belt.

Her hands brushed over the hilt as she remembered what he had said to her when he had handed it to her. "I would rather you dirty the blade of this dagger then your beautiful hands." He knew full well she normally clawed her opponents to death. Liana smiled at the memory, she would miss Lord Elrond. In her time in Rivendell, he had become something of a father to her or at least someone she could consider family.

She silently vowed that she would come back and visit. He was the first to try to be her friend, and the first to truly understand her, and she would not let that bond die.

There was a gentle knock at her door that tore her from her thoughts. "The horses are ready for us." Legolas said as she opened the door. Noticing that she had chosen her mortal form for the trip he walked into the room and grabbed her bag. "Lord Elrond is waiting to say his good byes."

She was dressed in a long green dress with long bellowing sleeves that seemed to swallow her arms. Sidhlairiel had been kind enough to gift her with some clothing. Most of the clothes were dresses despite her protests. They made their way down the hallways to the stables were they found Lord Elrond waiting. Legolas's men were already mounted and awaiting for their prince. Legolas gracefully climbed on to his horse's back with little effort while waiting for Liana.

Lord Elrond walked up to Liana and caught her in a warm embrace. Just over a month ago, she would not have allowed him so close to her, but now she saw him as her kin, someone she could confide in, someone she consider a friend and someone she didn't feel she needed to hide things from. "You know you will always be welcome here Liana. I will always be here should you need me," he said as he held her in his arms as a father would hold a daughter.

"I know, and you have been so good to me. I know I can trust you with my secrets." She said looking him in the eyes.

He searched her eyes for a moment. "You know that you can confide in me if you wish it. I will always be here to listen," he said bringing his hand to her cheek. She placed her hand over his and nuzzled his hand for a moment, much like a dog would do as an act of loyalty to the ones he loves.

"I know, and I look forward to the day when I return and tell you everything there is about my kind, everything you desire to know about us." Before he could respond she looked him dead in the eyes, her eyes shifting not to that of her amber color of her Fae form but of a white color, one you would see in wolfs that roamed freely in the wild. "_One day I will return and tell you all my secrets_." The voice was loud and clear in his head but still he was at peace. However she had done it, she had spoken to him in his mind but kept him calm and unflinching so that no one would notice. Liana smiled, her eyes going back to their mortal brown color, and then walked over to where Legolas was mounted on his horse. He reached out a hand, grasped hers and swung her up behind him.

One final look towards Lord Elrond and Legolas nudged his horse forward, leading his men through Rivendell towards the large archway leading out of the great elven city. Liana looked back, giving Lord Elrond one final smile as they galloped off into the woods and out of sight.

Liana had her hands loosely wrapped around Legless waist. She couldn't remember the last time she had been on the back of a horse, but she had good balance and doubted Legolas would let her fall off. She could see the other members of his group alongside them. The elf that had introduced himself as Beinion had ridden up alongside Legolas. Looking back at Liana he smiled. "Have you ever seen Mirkwood my lady?" She shook her head 'no' in response. Even thought he was trying to make amends with her in some way, she just couldn't bring herself to trust him. "Well my lady, you are in for a real treat as the beauty of Mirkwood is unlike anything you have ever seen before. Even thought our forest is wild and over grown Mirkwood itself is a kingdom unlike any other in Middle Earth. I believe it is something you will greatly enjoy."

"I had heard that Thranduil's halls are made up of a system of massive caves underground?" She questioned in return. "That they are Lady Liana." He said this with a wink and smile and then rode ahead leaving her to her thoughts. She could quit figure out what she would find so enchanting about being in a cave underground.

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Thats it for this one *TBC*

As always don't forget to review for me so i know how im doing plz

nyar ento luume


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks to my fabulous bata Kristall she has taken care of this story from start to finish..

Hears the next chapter hope you find it somewhat entertaining. :) enjoy

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**Chapter 6**

The first couple of days passed by faster than Liana had imagined they would. She had been so lost in her own thoughts on what to expect when they arrived in Mirkwood that when Legolas and his group had stopped for the second night she hadn't even realized it, until Legolas had offered her a hand to help her off the horse. "Mani nwalme lle?" _What troubles you, _he asked as he warped his arm around hers and helped to the the ground.

"Ta na kai." _It is nothing, _she lied plastering a smile on her face. Something inside him told him she was lying but he decided not to push the subject. He knew she would talk to him when she was ready to.

Some of the elves went off into the woods to hunt while Legolas, Liana and Beinion began to make a fire. The wind was starting to pick up and when a strong gust of wind blew through the camp Liana quickly got to her feet doping the wood she was caring Still in her human form she scanned the dark tree line. She growled to herself 'I cannot see it in this form but there is something out there,_'_. Looking back at Legolas, who was adding wood to the growing fire, she asked: "Do you feel that? Something stirs in the woods, I call smell it on the air"

Legolas got up and walked over to where she was standing and scanned the woods with his keen elven eyes sight. He heard the sounds of the forest but nothing out of the ordinary. "I do not see or hear anything. We are safe here with my warriors," he said as he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Then he walked back to the fire.

Still unconvinced she stood there, eyes scanning the tree line. It wasn't long before Legolas was back at her side after tending the fire. "I do not know what it is but something is unsettling me. There is something on the air," she commented as she turned towards Legolas.

"If there is something out there it will not stand a chance against a group of elven warriors. You are safe Liana. I will protect you, I swear it," he said in a raised voice just in case there was something out there beyond his senses. "Come, they are back from hunting and dinner will be ready soon." He gave her a warm smile while taking her hand and led her back to the camp.

They sat around the fire in silence, Liana's eyes never leaving the tree line. She was convinced there was something unsettling out there even though she could not pin point it. She could feel that something was not right there was a malice in the air.

"Tell me about your kin" Legolas asked breaking the silence, and bringing her gaze back to the group "You have never talked about them before."

Liana brought her eyes up to meet his, again filled with sorrow and despair. A part of Legolas wished he hadn't brought it up. He didn't want to be the cause of any pain, but he needed to know what was left of her kind.

A slight laugh escaped her lips. It was the only thing she could do to keep from crying "Kin… I used to have kin...I used to belong in this world...once. I used to belong to a pack, long ago. There were thirteen of us, all with the same marking. The Red Crescent moon is our clan mark." She pointed to the birthmark on in the nape of her neck. "My mother, father, older brother, and younger sister were all a part of the pack. For centuries we ran free in Fangorn forest, long before the filth of Saruman took hold. Most of the members of my pack were of wolf or feline Fae. My father was wolf Fae and my mother was Lemix Fae" ,many of the elves looked at each when she mentioned Lemix. "I know they have been extinct for many long years now" she added seeing the looks. Beinion was the first to speak of what everyone was thinking.

"For give us Liana but many of us have not herd that species of cat mentioned in many years and some have never even seen one, those that have know to revere it for it is a temperamental animal and for its shear size and strength should never be crossed."

Liana smiled " Ya I got most of my looks from my dad."

She continued on with her story "There were also fox Fae, raccoon Fae and even a couple boar Fea. That was just in our pack. I knew of nine other packs spread out across Middle Earth. There was an uprising in clans and soon after the clans turned on one another for leadership, for total control of all other Fae. A lot of them were wiped out then the rest were hunted by Saruman for our blood. Fae are able to sense one another when they are close to each other, and I had always been able to feel my pack mates no matter where they were, but after Saruman, I can't sense any of them anymore. There might be surviving members of other packs out there but I have not felt them yet. I have not felt the presence of another Fae in many long years, not since Saruman."

Legolas reached over and took her hand. "I am sorry, Liana, but please remember I am here for you and I always will be. You will never have to be alone again." Liana gave him a weak smile and turned back to stare at the fire.

Legolas knew there was nothing he could do for Liana and the pain she was feeling. It was always going to be there and all he could do was offer his friendship and hope that one day he can help heal the pain within her heart.

Despite the fact that she could not shake the feeling that there was something in the woods, she was too emotionally exhausted and she settled in for the night. 'No one would be stupid enough to attack a group of elven warriors,' she thought to herself as she rolled over on her pallet. Of course she remembered that she had made a comment like that before and she barley walked away from that battle. Letting the odd feeling drift to the back of her mind she rolled over and fell asleep.

Waking the next morning rather abruptly when she heard Legolas calling her name, she shot up, instantly finding herself on edge. The feeling of there being someone in the woods had not gone away and now it seemed to be stronger. "Come, it is time to head out," he said to her, breaking her train of thought. Her eyes still scanned the woods as she rolled her pallet up and fixed it to her pack before fastening it to the back of Legalese's horse. 'If there is something out there we will soon leave it behind us,'she thought. She gave Legolas her hand and swung around behind him on his horse.

Once again Liana was lost in her own thoughts. She couldn't help but worry about the elves in Mirkwood. Would they be just as open to what she was as Lord Elrond and those in Rivendell? Would she have to explain what she was all over again? Or should she simply stay hidden in her mortal form? But then again the elves she was traveling with seemed just as friendly and accepting so maybe it would be ok. Plus Legolas would be there as well so she wouldn't be alone. The thoughts kept swilling around in her head. She was so lost in thought that it took Legolas and his group coming to a quick stop to shake her back into reality.

"We are being followed," he said sharply. He turned his horse around and looked down the open paths behind them.

"There are at least eight of them," she said pointing off into the distance she could now clearly feel there presence Legolas squinted his eyes. She was right. They were just barely in range of his eye sight.

"They are tracking us," one of the other elves stated as he pulled up beside them.

"Bandits!" Legolas exclaimed in a stern voice.

"They will not stop tracking us. We must take care of them while we have the advantage," Beinion snaped.

Legolas dipped his head in agreement. "Let us get to the tree line were we will have upper hand." All the elves urged their horses to quicken their pace as they made their way to the closest tree line. Quickly dismounting and sending their horses off out of sight, into the tree line just off to the side of them, Legolas and the group quickly took to the trees and awaited the inevitable fight.

"Will you not change forms to better protect yourself?" Beinion asked, turning to look at Liana.

"If I change then that means we can leave none alive. I can't take the risk of one of them seeing me like that and getting away," she said in response as her gaze drifted down. Despite what she was, killing was not something she took joy in.

"If we do not take care of all of them then they will continue to track us, they are murderers and thieves and want nothing more than the bragging right of killing an elven hunting party," he said while placing a hand on her shoulder.

A twig snapped on the ground underneath the bandits as they made their way into the woods. Legolas and his men all took aim with their bows. As the bandits came further into view he signaled for them to open fire. Each elf managed to kill their marks with their first arrow. Two of the elves jumped to the ground to attend to the final two bandits. Liana watched as they were quickly taken care of. 'I count seven hear, where is the eighth,' she thought to herself as she quickly made her way out of the trees with Legolas. Upon reaching the ground, she quickly shifted into the Fae form and snatched an arrow out of the air just inches from Legolas. The eighth bandit had hung back with his bow in an attempt to catch an elf off guard. On seeing Liana in her Fae form he quickly lost all the courage he had and turned to flee.

"Putta ho!" _Stop him, _Legolas quickly yelled as his warriors gave chase.

Within an instant Liana had closed the space between her and the bandit and had grabbed the bandit's shirt. She roughly tossed him backwards to the ground. Rolling a couple of times before quickly scrambling back to his feet and drawing his sword. A low growl escaped her lips as he quavered. "What…What are you?"

"What I am is of no concern to you," she answered plainly. He was young, maybe in his early twenties, and he was clearly terrified. Even the sword he held was trembling within his grasp. He lunged at her and she quickly dodged his attack, disarming him in the proses. His sword fell hard to the ground as he spun around. "You…you don't have to do this! Please let me go," he pleaded. She growled again, pulling out the dagger Lord Elrond had given her. She stepped towards him when an arrow whizzed by and lodged itself in his chest. The bandit fell to his knees, his eyes fixed on her face before he fell lifeless to the ground.

Liana turned to see Legolas a few yards back still holding his bow. She smiled at him warmly. She was happy he had killed him. He had spared her that trauma. She had not been looking forward to having to take a human life. No matter how bad he was he was still a human and their lives were already so short, just a blink of the eye to her. Legolas walked up to her placing a reasserting hand on her shoulder. "If we ride nonstop we will be in Mirkwood in a couple days. It is a hard ride but we must go," he smiled at her. The group of warriors had already retrieved their horses and were beginning to mount. She grabbed her pack off the back of Legalese's horses and excused herself. Walking into the woods just out of sight she pulled out another outfit and quickly shifted back into her mortal form and dressed herself. Going back and forth between human and Fae was going to coast her a lot of clothing.

This dress was long and blue with flowing bell like arms and gold trim. She quickly pulled her hair back into a messy pony tail and made her way out to where Legolas was waiting. Lifting her up behind him, they set off towards Mirkwood. Liana looked back for a split second at the young man with the arrow through his chest. She pitied him, for if he hadn't chosen the wrong road in life he would still be alive and not left to the elements. At that she turned back towards the road ahead and did not let him cross her mind again.

Legolas had been right and the outer edge of Mirkwood had come into view around noon the next day. They had been riding all night without stopping when he had nudged her and pointed to the vast forest ahead. There was another day's ride left before they reached the kingdom.

The trees were tall and looming, and the forest was dense and wild all around them. In a way it resembled Fangorn. The trees were old and bore a history about them. The day passed quickly and Legolas encouraged them to ride through the night.

They slowed their pace as a few small huts came into view. There was a large rock wall off to the left with an overhanging cliff. As the neared it Liana could see the large opening to a cave system. The opening had two large white stone columns carved into the rock face marking the opening to the elven city. Rows of vines were winding their way up the columns and many were hanging off the cliff up above. There was a large water fall somewhere near by although Liana could not see it, she could hear and feel the pounding of the water as the sounds made their way thought the thick trees.

Legolas slowed his horse to a trot as they rode up to what looked like the stables. "Your father is waiting for you Prince Legolas, and for you as well Lady Liana," the guard informed them as they rode into the stable. Legolas led his horses into its stall and turned around, offering his arm to Liana as she climbed off. Realization set in at the young guards words, Legolas was a Prince and the Prince had come home. To her he was a fast friend, nothing more. His prince hood had no meaning to her, and she treated him no differently because of it.

It didn't take long for Legolas to lead her through the winding cave system of the underground kingdom. Most of the elves in the city made room for him. As they made their way down the stony paths and well lite corridors Liana stayed close to his side. She couldn't help but marvel at the craft work and detail that went into the intricate designs of every part of the walls and ceiling if she hadn't seen the entrance she would not have thought she was underground or in a cave. Everything was cast in vines, trees, leaves, and other earthy designs effectively bringing the forest into the caves. Finally, they made their way into King Thranduil's throne room where he was anxiously awaiting his son's return.

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Hop you all enjoyed it

lye sarpsa au


	7. Chapter 7

**Ok guys this is it for this story. This is the last chapter :(.. But bare in mind this story is one of four.. Keep and eye out for "Fae of Dwarves" "Fae of Vampires and "Fae of Earth" Each story is entwined with one another and in each one you see a diffident side of Liana. Learn more and more about her and watch her grow into the powerful creature she is destined to be.**

**Thanks for sticking with me. and please review and let me know what you thought of this story.. Thanks again to my fabulous batta. Kristall **

**So with out further ado lets end this chapter of Liana life and on with the first chapter of her life. Keep and eye out for Fae of Dwarves to be posted soon under Hobbit category and before you ask no she isn't joining the journey to the Lonely Mountain with the company, this an entirely new story and a new adventure set before the journey of dwarves . **

**Enjoy :)**

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**Chapter 7**

The tall thick oak doors creaked as they swung open revealing a rather modest throne room. King Thranduil was seated off to the side at a long wooden table covered in papers and books. There was a large wooden chair off to one side that Liana could only assume was the throne of sorts. A large fire place was in the middle of the room with the table that the king was seated at with a map of Mirkwood before it.

"Ahh, the Prince has finally returned to Mirkwood." King Thranduil said as he stood from his place at the table and walked over to embrace his son. Liana noticed the resemblance between Legolas and his dad. Legolas definitely got his looks from his dad. Both sported the blond hair braided down the back much. He was taller than Legolas, but had the same piercing blue eyes. The King had a simple circlet upon his head, and was dressed in a long dark blue tunic that was mostly concealed by a large blue robe.

"You must be the Lady Liana. Lord Elrod was kind enough to tell me much about you. I have had a room prepared for you and I think it will be much to your satisfaction." He said turning towards her and bowing his head slightly in greeting. "You must excuse my son and I, we have much to discuss. I will have Bellasiel show you to your room. I'm sure you are weary from your travels," he said as he gestured to a handmaiden standing off in the corner. Liana did a curtsy bow type gesture towards the king and turned to walk with Bellasiel, giving Legolas one last look as she hurried towards the handmaiden waiting at the door.

Liana admitted to herself that she was greatly looking forward to a bath, and she could not lie, she was tired. "Lady Liana," the king said as she reached the large doors that led out to the hallway. "You do not need to hide yourself hear, when you are ready feel free to embrace who you are." He gave her a warm smile and at that she disappeared out the door and down the hall.

"My name is Bellasiel. I have been assigned as your handmaiden. If there is anything you desire all you need is ask. The kings has granted you anything you wish to make your stay as enjoyable as he can."

Bellasiel led her down several long plane hallways before coming to a stop in front of a wooden door. "Here you are," she said sweetly. "This room has been prepared for you, and from what I understand it is exactly what you desire." She opened the door and let Liana walk in first. Liana's jaw dropped for a second as she took it all in.

There was a large wooded four poster bed in the center of the room with elegant vines carved down the posts. The bad was shaded by a white veil, probably to help conceal the bed due to how open the room was to the wild. There was a small fire place just big enough to keep the room warm and a large wardrobe up against one of the walls. She had her own bath room with a large metal tub in the center, already filled with steaming water. And a balcony, the balcony was twice the size of the room and had large trees with branches all around it that hung over the balcony. If she chose to, she could climb out into the trees and into the forest. The canopy of the trees hung just over the balcony shading it from any harsh weather.

"I will leave you to your bath, Lady Liana," Bellasiel said as she turned and left.

Liana walked out on to the balcony. She noticed that the balcony faced the forest and not the town, giving her even more privacy. The trees loomed over it offering shade and peace of mind. Dropping her dress to the ground she allowed herself to shift into her Fae form. She slowly ran her fingers over the cold snow covered stone that lined the edge of the balcony. Liana found her room to be quite comfortable. The king had done well in understanding her needs, but before she could lose herself in her thoughts too much, she remembered the bath that had been prepared for her and quickly made her way to the bath room and the waiting steaming tub.

While lavishing in a long hot bath, Liana quickly found herself more exhausted then she had originally thought. The warm water soothed her sore legs. She was not accustomed to riding horseback and even for her it was trying on her muscles. She dipped her head back into the water and let herself lay there for a few moments, her hair drifting around her shoulders.

Stepping out of the tub she found a towel lying just off behind her on the counter. Lucky her fur didn't hold water like most animals would and so drying off was never much of a problem for her. Water always seemed to wick away.

Walking over to the bed she almost had to jump to get on top of it. The soft fabric seemed to swallow her. Normally the softness of the bed would cause her to toss and turn for a bit but she was so drained from the long journey that it didn't take long at all before she was out cold.

Liana had been asleep for several hours when there came a light knocking at the door. Shifting slightly on her bed but not fully bringing herself to a waking state her ears perked to the sound of the door opening.

Legolas found her nestled on top of the covers on the massive bed. He was pleased to see she was in Fae form. He brushed a strand of her white and red hair out of her face. "Has your father finished with you," she asked as her eyes fluttered open. He smiled down at her.

"How is it you do that," he asked as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Do what," she said smiling back at him as she ran a hand through her hair.

"How is it you always seem to know when it's me?"

She smiled warmly. "I can feel you. Even though I did not hear you as you enter the room, I felt you the moment you did," she said in response as she stared up into his blue eyes. Clearly seeing he didn't follow what she was saying, she explained further. "Everybody had this kind of resonance that they give off. Each one is unique, no two people are the same. I can sense the resonance. So I'll always be able to know it's you." She said as she crawled off the bed.

Legolas stood taking her hands in his. "My father called me home because there is a problem defending our western borders."

Liana's ears perked. "The elves are having a problem in defense," she asked teasingly.

Legolas smiled. "We share these woods with many creatures, some of which are giant spiders. For the most part they stay clear of us, but lately they been causing problems for my people." Liana squeezed his hands. "So before I go out with a hunting party tonight I thought I would escort you to dinner," he said weaving her arm though his. "Come let us eat." With that he led her out of the room and down the long hallways to the dining hall.

"When do you leave," she asked, turning to look at him. They had stopped just outside the dining hall.

"Just after dinner, the spiders only come out at night and early dawn so we have limited a time to act."

They continued into the room. There were only a few elves inside eating. Much to Liana's surprise what few elves were in the room ignored her as she walked in. This brought a smile to her face. It was just as Legolas and the King had said, she would be safe here.

Sitting down at a long table they were brought a rather sizable bowl of some sort of stew, which Liana had no problem in eating. It both smelled and looked delicious, and the one thing she had learned was that the elves knew how to cook.

"Legolas, do you think I can come with you? On the hunt," she said suddenly. Legolas, caught off guard by this question, gave her an odd look. "You wish to accompany me? It will be quite dangerous."

"I understand, but if I am to remain here with you then Mirkwood is to become somewhat of a home to me, and I would like to ensure it will be safe for all who dwell here." Puzzled by the words she used, _all who dwell, _he nodded his head in agreement.

"As you wish. We leave as soon as we're done with dinner." Smiling she nodded at him and continued to eat her stew. "Don't tell Lord Elrond but the food here is much better."

Legolas smiled at her. "I will not say a word."

After dinner Legolas and Liana walked down to the stables to meet up with three other elves that would be joining them, each one introducing themselves with a low bow and a hand over their heart before mounting their horses. "Do you wish to retrieve your bow from your room before we go?" Legolas asked before helping her onto the back of his horse.

"No, I will not be needing it," she said smiling. Legolas jumped on in front of her.

"I sense that there is something you are not telling me," he said as he urged his horse forward. All he got in return was a wide toothy smile that in many ways was very evil looking.

It wasn't far to the edge of the forest where the spiders were causing a nuisance. There was a heavy fog rolling in and it seemed to blanket the ground. As the horses trotted through the fog seemed to move over everything like waves of the sea rolling in harsh weather. Massive webs littered the trees everywhere. There were animals of all kinds suspended in the webs and hanging from them.

Liana could feel the spiders all around, in the trees looking down on them, stalking them. "How many are there?" Legolas asked, not looking back at her.

"At least fifteen," she answered, knowing full well that the elves were greatly out numbered.

Legolas readied his bow in one smooth movement. "You should have brought your weapon. You will not be able to attack them head on," he said worriedly. She could feel his muscles tensing.

"Do not worry for me my friend, all will be well," she said giving him a soft reassuring squeeze.

Suddenly a large black spider with black and red banded legs fell from the trees just in front of them causing his horse to rear up, throwing both of them to the ground. Legolas quickly scrambled to his feet and fired his bow. Liana was quicker at recovering from hitting the ground and was able to move and intercept the arrow before it striking the spider. Shocked at both her sudden movement and action Legolas notched another arrow. "N'e en I men." _Out of the way, _he called to her as he felt anger growing within him at her actions. Before he could fire another arrow several more spiders descended from the trees effectively surrounding them.

Liana turned to the large spider in front of her that kept advancing towards her. She could sense Legolas tensing up behind her. He was worried for her safety and probably shocked at her show of stupidity. He stood at ready with his warriors for the inevitable fight.

Liana looked back at him and once more gave him that toothy evil smile, which almost seemed to calm him for some reason. He lowered his bow and singled for the others to do so as well. This action caused the spiders to stop their advance.

He knew they were greatly outnumbered as it was, so whatever she was going to do he would give her the chance to do it. She reached a hand up and places it on one of the spider's leg. It flinched slightly and then brought its body down to the ground so that his eyes were even with hers. There was a long silence between them and Legolas had a suspicion that the two of them were communicating somehow. She reached up and stroked the fuzz around its pincers. The spider almost seemed to purr at her action, and then it turned and climbed up into the canopy, followed closely by the other spiders.

"You will have no more problems from them," she said as she turned and walked towards Legolas. The other elves of the group were whispering between themselves as she approached Legolas.

"You are full of surprises, Lady Liana," he said with a grin. There was a part of him that was happy that they were able to avoid bloodshed, as the fight would not have ended well for either race.

She smiled at him. "There is much you do not know about yet, Prince," and with that they climbed back onto the horse and headed back towards what Liana would soon be calling home.

Legolas couldn't help think how grateful he was that she allowed him to stay in her life, and knew from that point on that they would be friends long into the future and nothing would be able to break the bond he now felt they shared.

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seere yassen lle

**Review so I know what you think please..for the love of elves review!**

**Dont forget Fae of Dwarves is to be posted in a couple of weeks!**


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